quiet work with a loud whisper.

I am delighted to be writing my feature today on the lovely and subtle work of Northampton, Ma. based artist Christalena Hughmanick. Christalena had 3 of her gorgeous works of lace and tatting in the connective thread exhibition and they were a great addition to the exhibit of very traditional hand work being seen and approached in a very contemporary way.
Amongst these works were Ladies gloves...

SOS tatting...

and monogrammed handkerchief- all from a larger series of work.


Christalena has also made some exquisitely executed sweater/straightjacket's for her installation A New History for the Hysteria. The quality of the craftsmanship in all of her work is extremely impressive and the quiet but very poignant conceptual approach is admirable. She manages to have complete confidence in her work- giving her the grace to never overdo it.


Her very eloquent statement says:

My work deals with issues of societal control. Whether it's the institution of marriage, acceptable sexuality, gender expectation, or faith in God, our lives and the choices we make are greatly affected by deeply ingrained social and cultural structures. My work addresses these structures in order to create dialogue around the ways in which they dictate our norms, rituals, and behaviors. ...I create objects that illustrate the confining nature of both the woman's place in society and the objects that surround her. It is through this process that I both relate to and honor the subjugated women who have come before me. ....By examining structures of control in the lives of others, I invite viewers to recognize and question those that exist in their own. I hope to ignite individual empowerment and the freedom to make informed choices.


a very admirable and strong voice of an artist.

I too have often been interested in exploring these same confines, particularly in the traditional idea of marriage, therefore I really connect to and appreciate Christalena's work. I cannot wait to see what she does next.

See more of Christalena's work here.